Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross
Better Orgasms. Better World.
409 pages - 32 images of Betty through the years and her art
Betty's memoir is the story of one woman's struggle to liberate female sexuality while enjoying her own. In the 70's as the feminist movement evolved focusing on various platform issues, equal pay, voter registration, Betty latched on to sexual liberation as a symbol for self empowerment. Realizing that so many women weren't enjoying sex she asked, "how could women ever be truly equal if they were reliant on men for their sexual satisfaction." She quickly became the leader of the sex positive feminist movement and the rest is history.
The memoir chronicles her 40-year career as a feminist including:
· Her career as a fine artist mounting the first one-woman show of erotic art in 1968.
· Her experiences with group sex during the Sexual Revolution.
· Her historic vulva slide show that premiered at NOW's 1973 Sexuality Conference.
· Her Bodysex workshops- teaching 1,000s of women to take charge of their own orgasms for 25 years.
· Her introduction of the electric vibrator in 1973 to the American woman as a pleasure device.
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Listen to: Betty Dodson, Bareback Orgies & Independent Orgasms
Read an excerpt from the book: Sister Teacher: The Birth of the Bodysex Groups
Read VirginMonoblogger's review: "I Felt F*cked by that Book"
First I have to say how happy I am that you are in my life. You have taught me so much: creative sexuality, tolerance, empathy, kindness and how to have more fun.
Seeing you each time has been a joyful experience I remember with great affection and admiration. Admiration. Specifically I admire your courage and sense of artistic mischievousness. That's really something I can't say about too many people.
Second, your honesty and perception and willingness to describe what it was like for a female to grown up in the 50's and 60's is record breaking. I can't think of anyone who has approached the details as clearly as you have of that time. Until now I always thought of those years laughingly as the best "decades of foreplay" without acknowledging the pressures, fears and crazy mores (I hope that means cultural seriousness about our Calvinistic culture) that were present. I identified intensely.
Now there's another part of your book I haven't identified with so much. Not because I don't want to, but I haven't reached your level yet. I'm still aspiring to it. You constantly open my eyes and my imagination not only about possible sex play I haven't tried yet, but about what it means to my personal humanity and to age as a sexually healthy woman.
I think I'm going to close here because my computer is capricious and shuts down when I least expect it. I will continue to think about you as I reread your book in rehab. I'm also sending a copy of this letter to Erika in Istanbul to let her know the missing copy has turned up and I'll send it to her next week.
Please take care of yourself. You are a National Treasure who should get the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize. I love you very much. And yes we did take Aspen by storm thanks to you.
Love and hugs,
Arabella and LULU
Betty Dodson’s My Romanic Love Wars is a rare memoir, the most unflinching account of a person’s sexual history since My Life and Loves by Frank Harris, published ninety years ago. But this time it’s a woman writing and, oh, the difference. Dodson and Harris both had a very active background in the arts. Harris was a famous writer and literary magazine editor in his generation; Dodson is a NYC sexual revolutionary in painting, photography, writing, education, and erotic performance.
Harris scandalized many in the literary world and his book was censored by right thinking bureaucrats for decades. Today’s crowd is harder to shock, but there is something in Dodson’s book, some very detailed experiences, that will push even the most the open-minded reader to his or her limit. Betty has very personally investigated every avenue of female sexual expression -- and she tells you all about it.
Dodson gives new definition and depth to the word “honest”. Her book is a unapologetic memoir of her continuing sexual evolution during her 80 plus years. She was born and raised in Kansas and has never lost her Midwest brashness, even as she infiltrated New York City’s incestuous art world. Increasingly she became the sexual rebel in her art and life, and she has remained the most outspoken and refreshing woman for the last several generations.
What do we do with this woman? Many will dismiss her as a compulsive sex addict, others will do what they’ve always done and simple ignore her. But neither attitude works. She dared to advertise the word “Masturbation” and then published a popular underground book advocating and demonstrating the art of self loving. As uncomfortable as it may be for some, Dodson personally plumbs the depths (and polishes the surfaces) of every human sexual expression imaginable. Betty has done it all. Repeatedly.”
(Disclosure: Betty and I have crossed paths often since the early 70s and I’ve been the beneficiary of her talents)
Like her art, her writing style can be beautifully frank and confronting. At times in her life she was a hard boiled chick attempting to economically make it in New York’s tough and puzzling art scene. But she’s also a born comedian and her stories are filled with ironic humor and great punch lines. Often in the book she is genuinely vulnerable and affectionate, especially in the role of a very loyal daughter to her amazing mother. Always however she is an extreme realist in her sexual encounters with women and men -- and with herself;
Dodson is a woman of strong opinions, sometimes hardened ones.
But her sweet humor softens continuously. She never spares herself. She will take a position at one moment in her life and in the next chapter will admit that she was wrong and move on with renewed enthusiasm. Her entire life has been a process of cutting away the dense cultural thickets that defined women’s sexual roles. Each detailed sexual anecdote -- almost all describing a phase in her outrageously adventurous sexual journey -- tells of the confusion, the pain, but mostly the pure joy and dedication in her mission and her life.
Read the book and be prepared for a shock of recognition. You’ll discover yourself somewhere in the pages.
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Thankyou
I just finished your new book and I feel so inspired and liberated. Thankyou for being so courageous. To put your entire personal history and especially healthy sexual history out in the world is very brave. The lesson, once again, is everyone HAS to do what they are driven to do. Thank you for following your soul to fruition.